NHS staff

NHS staff make our health service the success story it is. In Parliament, I challenged David Cameron over his Government’s failure to award recommended pay rises to hard-pressed NHS workers. I’ve met with junior doctors to discuss their concerns, which I share, about the Government’s contract proposals. Changes to junior doctors’ contracts should be properly negotiated and the Government must take into account work-life balance, patient safety, morale, staff retention and recruitment.

Social care

The NHS crisis has been deepened by the massive Government cuts to local councils which provide social care. I’ve challenged Ministers on the impact on GP practices, and inadequate social care has added to pressures on our hospitals.

Reducing budgets has also hit those who work in social care. In Parliament I have spoken out about the scandal of illegal pay in the care sector where hundreds of thousands of care workers are paid below the minimum wage. I’ve met with Ministers to make the case for practical changes to end these practices, and I’ll keep pressing on it.

This is a selection of my work on these issues. Please get in touch if you want to find out more.